Our Community

Our Community

Watermark is a proud member of the Annapolis and Baltimore community. Our tour guides are part of the fabric of historic Annapolis keeping the city’s history alive and telling its important stories to residents, visitors and students nearly every day of the year. During the boating season, guests on our cruises experience the magic of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The Annapolis Maritime Museum brings students onboard our Harbor Queen throughout the Spring to drop harvested oysters into the Bay and as a company we’re proud to be a voluntary member of the Passenger Vessel Association’s Waters Program for green business practices.

We host charitable events throughout the year to benefit area non-profits like a Dog Days Cruise to benefit the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, a food drive during the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade and a free walking tour to celebrate Maryland Day. Additionally, Watermark donates cruise boarding passes and walking tour passes to various organizations for fundraising events every year. Watermark is proud to be one of the biggest employers in downtown Annapolis and a provider of summer jobs for students in Baltimore city and Annapolis.

Our Partnerships

Now in our second generation of family ownership and operation, Watermark believes strongly in partnering and supporting local businesses and non-profit organizations to advance the development of the rich culture, heritage and resources found in the Chesapeake area.

Watermark is a Founding One Hundred Sponsor of Annapolis Green. Annapolis Green fills a unique need, connecting the community by communicating an environmental message that is meaningful, positive and motivational, engaging residents, businesses, non-profits, government agencies, and visitors.

Their goal is to make Annapolis the greenest city in Maryland, a place where sustainability is a way of life and a source of pride. The Annapolis Green House will be the first Green community center of its kind in historic Annapolis where organizations can meet, showcase their products and services, and together build a sustainable community.

The Annapolis Maritime Museum is dedicated to preserving and commemorating the maritime heritage of Annapolis and the neighboring waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

Watermark shares the same passion and commitment to the maritime heritage of Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay so it only seems natural that Watermark supports the Museum’s efforts through a number of fundraising and partnership efforts. During Spring months, the Museum brings students on board Harbor Queen to drop harvested oysters into the Bay. Watermark and the Maritime Museum also developed hands-on STEM educational programming for students including Chesapeake 101, a land and sea experience, and a Critter Cruise. The programs are designed to give elementary and middle school children the opportunity to explore the rich maritime history in Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay.

With several Watermark employees lending their voices to the Annapolis Chorale, Watermark is an avid supporter. The Annapolis Chorale is a non-profit artistic organization dedicated to enhancing community life through performing and producing a wide variety of music. Under the umbrella of Live Arts Maryland, the Annapolis Chorale's sister companies includes the Annapolis Chamber Orchestra, Annapolis Youth Chorus and St. Anne's Concert Series. The Chorale has attained a national reputation for excellence and innovation and remains dedicated to creating and presenting high-quality music.

Watermark actively participates in the Chorales’ fundraising events throughout the year including a signature event held on Watermark’s Harbor Queen during the summer months.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, in St. Michaels, Maryland, is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering an understanding of the culture and history of the Chesapeake Bay. Since its founding in 1965, the Museum has grown through the support of volunteers, staff and members.

Watermark’s relationship with The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum spans decades. In fact, Watermark originated over forty years ago by offering a single public sightseeing cruise to St. Michaels, Maryland known as Day on the Bay to St. Michaels. Cruise tickets always include admission to the Museum. Over the years the relationship between Watermark and the Museum has grown. Together, our organizations are working together to bring new and unique experiences, such as public cruises to the WineFest at St. Michaels and Watermen's Appreciation Day. A cruise to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum from Annapolis is a popular choice for private yacht charters with Watermark.

Four Rivers develops and supports activities that combine tourism and small business development with education, historic preservation, cultural and natural resource conservation and recreation in a strategic effort to enhance the community’s economy and culture. Watermark is a proud member of Four Rivers Heritage Area.

Since 1952 Historic Annapolis has led the way in preserving the city's architectural legacy and unique historic character for future generations and for residents and visitors today! The foundation has been instrumental in saving nearly 400 historic buildings in Annapolis.

Watermark is proud to sponsor an organization so dedicated to historic Annapolis. Watermark has led countless groups to the William Paca House and in 2008 Watermark and Historic Annapolis partnered to add the interior of the Paca House to Watermark's Special Historic Hauntings ghost tour. In 2015 the Hauntings tour will include the interior of the Big Brice House, a unique opportunity for the public to tour inside the building. In 2009 Watermark added the Paca Kitchen to its school offerings. Currently, the Paca Kitchen and Historic Annapolis' Hogs Head living history program are popular add-on choices for Watermark field trips in Annapolis. Additionally, many of Watermark's tour guides volunteer for Historic Annapolis in their free time.

Watermark is pleased to support and partner with The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation. Based in Annapolis, Maryland, the Foundation is dedicated to fostering the exploration, rediscovery and preservation of African American history, culture, archaeology and genealogy. They further encourage the search for ethnic "roots" among Americans of all ethnic origins. Another role of the Foundation is to continue the symbolic journey begun by the late author Alex Haley in his quest for his own cultural heritage as reflected in his Pulitzer prize-winning book Roots.

In 2006, Watermark and The Foundation established a unique partnership designed to deliver a series of African-American Heritage tours on land and water to all who wish to learn and experience the rich and diverse history of African Americans in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. Our African-American Heritage Tour was awarded the “Best New Heritage Initiative” for 2006 by the Four Rivers Heritage Association. The 2-hour walking tour covers a 200-year journey. Presently the tour is offered during the month of February and anytime for private group bookings.

The U.S. Naval Academy is one of the great landmarks in Annapolis, Maryland and is frequently featured during Watermark’s public walking tours, field trips and sightseeing cruises. Watermark tour guides are certified annually by the United States Naval Academy to provide Naval Academy tours.

Historic London Town and Gardens is a twenty-three acre park featuring history, archaeology, and horticulture on the South River in Edgewater, Maryland. The park is owned by Anne Arundel County and managed by the London Town Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.The Foundation is responsible for developing and conducting interpretive, recreational, and educational programs that allow visitors to learn about our historical, archaeological, and horticultural offerings. London Town is a featured stop on Watermark's Chesapeake Cravings food tour, available for private group bookings.

The National Aquarium is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures. The Aquarium opened in 1981 as a nonprofit aquatic education and conservation organization, the jewel of Baltimore City's Inner Harbor redevelopment. The Aquarium is consistently ranked as one of the nation's two top aquariums. We're proud to partner with the Aquarium for our "Aquatic Adventures" program, a package tour for students and groups that includes a tour of the Aquarium and a cruise of the Baltimore Harbor.

Tourism is Good for Maryland!

Maryland welcomed more than 38 million domestic visitors in 2014, which is an increase of nearly 6 percent from 2013 and up more than 40 percent since 2007.

Tourism is a powerful economic engine in Maryland. The economic impact of visitors in 2013 was $15.4 billion.

Tourism is a major employer in the State accounting for 138,500 jobs. For these employees, tourism jobs provided $4.7 billion in wages and salaries.

Every 252 tourism visits to Maryland generates enough state and local tax revenue to fund a public school student for one year.

Visitor taxes means residents pay less in taxes. Each Maryland household would have had to pay $970 more in 2013 without visitor spending.